Amalgamation of councils to lead to staff reductions

The amalgamation of Limerick City and County Councils in 2014 is likely to result in staff reductions of about 20% in the first radical overhaul of local authorities in the country.

Conn Murray, the man tasked with the merger, starts his first full week at the job today.

The beginning of his €150,000 contract has been described locally as marking “a line in the sand” for both Limerick and the Mid-West region.